3D modelling in GE

I have been using wasp & windfarmer for quite some time and have also been using following developments on openwind. Congratulations on the fantastic development. One thing for sure, its immensely faster than windfarmer when optimising.

I have been trying to generate 3D visualizations of several Windfarm layouts for viewing in Google Earth (GE) through export of kmz files from the layout layer.

I need to use models other than generic with different hub heights and rotor dia.

Since am not very conversant with google sketchup, please advise if there is a way around to design models with different rotors and hub heights. Typically in India now rotor dia and hubheights are 100 m.

Secondly new windfarms are being designed for repowering, where existing lower rotor & height WEGs also need to be modeled.

Wasp 10 automatically re-sizes models to turbine specifications. Though the models in wasp are static in nature, not with rotating blades.

Kindly provide your views on this.

Thanking you
Rajan Deb
Director
Consolidated Energy Consultants Limited
Energy Tower,
64,B-Sector, Kasturba Nagar, Bhopal
India
web: www.windpowerindia.com

email: rajandeb@gmail.com

Thanks Rajan,

We will be releasing a 3D visualisation module later this year. As for the default models, I have provided several models along with their sketchup files which makes them very easy, if a little time-consuming, to modify. OpenWind is an open-source "community" project which so far has had little to no contribution from its community. Your contribution could be to pay a student to adapt the default models to your needs and then send them to me so that I can include them in the default repository. If everyone did this we would very soon have a comprehensive turbine model repository from which everyone could benefit. Obviously I am directing this at all users of openWind and not just you.

I have also approached the turbine manufacturers (GE, Vestas, Siemens, Gamesa, Repower, Enercon etc.) to provide these repositories but so far have had only negative responses even though this would allow them to control their own images which you would think they would jump at. I am happy to help manufacturers setup their own repositories or to incorporate turbine models into our repository but I think I have done my time in Google Sketchup and it is now someone else's turn. By the way it is easy to learn Sketchup using the tutorials provided.

Sorry for the rant,

Nick

Hi again Rajan,

I realise I didn't answer your second question about mixed turbines. This is not a problem as the turbine model is associated with a turbine type in openWind and you can mix turbine types within any site layer.

I am currently looking into getting a student from the local college to add a bunch of turbine models to the default repository so I might be able to improve the default turbine selection.

Nick

Hi Nick,
Thank you so much for replying. I would be pleased to sponsor a student for designing a few models as below:
30 m hub height (tubular and lattice towers) 27 m rotor
50 m hub height (tubular and lattice towers) 27 m rotor
50 m hub height (tubular and lattice towers) 47 m rotor
75 m hub height (lattice tower) 82 m rotor
100 m hub height (tubular tower) 80 m rotor
100 m hub height (tubular tower) 100 m rotor

Kindly let know the rates and the procedure to re-imburse. I do wish the Manufacturers also contribute in terms of models and air density corrected power curves.

Best wishes,

Rajan